Albatross J.1

[Skyhook]

I noticed that i accidentally had started this thread under the wrong heading  , so Now i continue this here in the scratch build threads and will delete the wrong one.

Anyway, here’s a bit of progress...the ailerons have been cut and re-inserted, and got a grey base colour for showing the shape and surface as they really are

ABD5A4AE-7F92-4741-B351-B6BD115A7389

A plastic Sushi take-away box is a very handy shelter for the drying components....less dust!

3397F602-CFF8-449C-8C01-0E76B0A01ADD


I’ve been busy with other things lately and my modelling has consisted mainly of putting together some 1/72 kits, which have been lying around for years. But now i have found time to dive into my old stash of unfinished scratch projects from decades ago. I came across decent basic components of an Albatross J.1 from the early 90’s. So now i try to put it together in a kind of a build story.
Here’s the stuff, wings done in the usual Woodman-method; balsa core sanded to profile, skinned with thin plasticard with scored rib details. The fuselage is a simple box construction...

[RichieW]

Glad you have time to dive back in to your scratch build projects. You really have nailed the Harry Woodman wing method, they look perfect.

Richie

[Skyhook]

Glad you have time to dive back in to your scratch build projects. You really have nailed the Harry Woodman wing method, they look perfect.

Richie

Thanks!  I will photo the next wing manufacturing session, so it might be helpful for someone willing to try it out...

But now the Albatross.... l cut the cockpit and the engine cowling open. I usually leave the fuselage underside open in the cockpit area for easier access, but this time i will not bother as the info on the details is a bit slim. I have one general view of the pilot area and it seems that it is very similar to the typical Albatross two-seater arrangement of the day. It would be nice to knowmore about the mg installition on the floor...but it seems to be have been most often without the guns, at least according to the  photo evidence ...

The wings and the tail have also got a new base  colour
54212FD5-07AD-4291-B3FC-C6A090C6B7BD[/url


[url=https://flic.kr/p/2opJn6X]AA141BDD-7B61-4EBA-BB25-54F60A2DC294

[lone modeller]

This looks like an interesting subject as I have not seen this type modeled before. Is this 1/72 scale? If so I really admire your wings using the Woodman method.

Stephen.

[Flamingo]

Very interesting project!

I would love to learn more about your wings, clear covering, what type of glue, how to fold the leading edge etc.

I do have the Woodman book, so only any differences needed.

Here are two pics from the archive of the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich which I copied many years ago. Not extremely helpful

but all I can offer.

Joachim

[Skyhook]

fantastic!  Many thanks, Joachim!

Seems that there was normal wooden construction under the armoured section. Probably more like just plates attached to the longerons etc. Instead of a metal box for the crew and the fuel tank. These pics are of great help!

[Skyhook]

New base colours for the main components. I think those Xtracolor shades of mauve and green are ptobably too dark. They look better in the daylight. Note the heat stretched sprue on the foreground,,,,this will provide the inside structure to the grey painted cockpit area

38AD83B1-50A9-45F0-A26B-82AF31056806

[Skyhook]

A bit of progress, again... i cut the flaps to the cockpit sides etc. The surface details are made of various bits of stretched sprue and pieces of flat plastic. Some painted tape as well for the bits, which should be very thin. It all will make sense, as soon as i paint it light grey. Also the pilot chair and a sort of dashboard waiting for details.

E4489AF9-B112-4B4C-9FBB-39C8E184D276

Here’s how I make the steering wheel. I take a lenght of 0,3 mm brass wire...then I make a loop of it by twisting the ends around a brush handle of desired diameter. Then I cut the twisted part off and press the loop closed with tweezers. After that I cut a small disc of stretched sprue for the centre, place it and the wheel correctly and glue four lenghts of very thin hsp for spokes. I use a magnifying glass for all this, of course . Then i cut them along the rim of the wheel and add the column and then paint. It takes a bit of practice and good superglue in very small amounts. But the result is often very nice, the actual wheel looking better than most photo etched control wheels in 1/72.

99A204DA-CB36-43E8-A6AE-45322C7B8A40


url=https://flic.kr/p/2oq9EHh][/url]2E201A82-EBA7-4D95-9D9F-1C7C4549DBED

C62A5B5B-4B61-4DF3-9D89-811624647056

35FEBF00-70B9-4356-A175-3F337710C8D2

81A925A5-F53E-4DD3-8A05-43CF94433F79

[Borsos]

Very impressive scratchbuild skills! And I definitely like those armored planes!
Andreas

[Flamingo]

Like your progress!

At first I thought wheel on such a late machine? But a picture of 415/17 confirms it.

If your building that plane the balancing area of the elevator should be white I think.


Compare the markings with LVG C.V 9727/17 and 9477/17 !


A nice way to give more "body" to etched parts is to move the brush  with pressure over the edge, removing quite a lot of paint

which will dry "half round". Might not work on a full circle but is great for hand grips on fighter joysticks.


Greetings Joe

[RichieW]

Your steering wheel is beautiful. I agree, much better than a photo etch part and all made by your own hands.

Richie

[Skyhook]

Thanks for the nice comments.... and thanks to Joachim for pointing out that balanced area being white too. Don´t know if I would have noticed that in time .... I probably go for that scheme, there´s quite a few other nice ones too, but that has a couple of very good photos. I assume that the black and white striping has also been on the elevator undersurface too?  I think I will add the white stripes on the undersurfaces of the lower wings as well.... probably in black, as I think white had not been visible enough on light blue. They were for identification, after all....

[Skyhook]

Now i have constructed most of the inside details....some tiny paintwork ahead. I paint the smallest components and details with using a lenght of thin heat strethed sprue as a brush (or more corretly, not as a brush; i just try to stick the paint to where  it is needed). You can actually paint good meters and gauges of slices of sprue. Just add ever decreasing co-centric circles to them with a tiny stick in appropriate colours. You can even do the dials with a stick if you are very careful.

Now i need to add the top wooden gun ring, belts and paint the leather padding. Then i will add the rivets etc to the metal and nose area. I will be using thin markers and small drops of PVA glue.

4392AA4D-E508-4157-A679-3A6105EC846D

910E36E8-C4E7-4D68-A413-B946F6D373B7

892FC982-ABD9-4C71-B9D6-31905D4F58AC

[Skyhook]

Vorwärts!  Things are going ahead....

Painted the wings and the tailplane. I made a new gun ring for the observer, the previous one was too small and thin. I also added more cockpit details and made the circular covers for the inspection holes in the front part. I used white PVA-glue. I cut a couple of sprues of correct diameter for the job. Just pressed gently a little blob of glue to the right place and let it dry horizontally. It is easy with a little practice and you can make basically any size you like in 1/72. The best thing is that they are very easy to take off if they’re not right shape or size. When i get the plywood grain effects ready i will paint the covers in the same method. This time just using glossy paint instead of glue.

1FB5C60A-1AA1-431E-840D-9DED0B4B6AC4

B1FEB0CD-CEFE-4BFF-9D64-BEF6A45284AD

7D4604C9-D514-461E-BAE2-8A80BA147D2F

Cheers, Skyhook

[RichieW]

Lots of brilliantly clever ideas for detail painting and rivet making that I shall definitely be trying soon! The interior looks amazing, all in the tiny 1/72 scale too. Wonderful scratch building!

Richie